


Walking the Plank

by 4l3xia



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, BAMF Stiles, Beacon Hills Lacrosse Team, Derek Hale is Bad at Feelings, Gen, Hurt Stiles, M/M, No Sex, POV Derek, Protective Allison, Protective Lydia, Protective Scott, Stiles Stilinski is Batman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-04-02
Packaged: 2018-01-17 22:17:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1404505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4l3xia/pseuds/4l3xia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Derek meets Stiles, it's love at first sight. But all his friends are so protective. It becomes a challenge when Derek discovers the reason of their fierce protectiveness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Walking the Plank

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta-ed and foreign language. Thanks for reading. Let's hope the grammar is not too bad.

 

Derek strolled in the street when he first saw him. The boy was really cute.Tall, with a pale skin. Moles on the cheek. He talked to another boy. Both of them laughed. He followed them from a distance, and came in the Coffee Shop right after them. Derek was a very handsome man. He knew it and used it to obtain everything he wanted. It was useful for his job, and for his sex life. He knew how to seduce people. But he never kept any of them. He never cared about them enough. He didn't believed in love at first sight, but he couldn't help himself.The cute boy looked at pastries. He laughed with the lovely blonde behind the counter. An athletic guy was making coffee in silence at her side, and the blonde kissed him from time to time.

 

“Everything looks delicious. I can't decide.” began Derek, with his most seductive smile.

 

“Indeed, everything is good here ” answered the boy. He smiled back at him.

 

“I love chocolate. Do you know what is really tasty here?”

 

“Try their Banana Cream Pie. Erica made it. There's bits of chocolate in it. It's like heaven. Ask Boyd. ”

 

The coffee making man stared at him unfazed.

 

“It is.”

 

“Okay. It sounds tasty. I'm Derek, by the way.”

 

“Stiles.”

 

“Stiles? That's unusual.”

 

“My real name is a tongue twister. Stiles is way better.”

 

The blonde grinned at Derek.

 

“I call him Batman.”

 

Stiles chuckled

 

“Not in front of your hubby, Erica, please. Sorry, Boyd”

 

“No offense taken, Stiles. You saved her, you deserve the name.”

 

“You saved her? You're a paramedic?”

 

“Oh no. I don't. I'm way too clumsy. I saved her life once. That's why I'm Batman. And Boyd got the girl.” Stiles winked at Boyd, who smiled.

 

“ We considered giving you free donuts, but it would ruin us in less than a week.” replied Erica.

 

“ Batman is a bit offended, you know. Can you bring me a latte to the Batcave, Boyd?”

 

“Okay. In five minutes.”

 

Derek smiled at him while he moved to his table. He had a slight limp. Probably an ankle twist.

 

“Stiles. I know we just met, but would you like to have a drink ? Just the two of us? I'm a batman fan.”

 

“Really? Yes, of course. I mean, I'll be delighted.”

 

Derek handed him his phone .

 

“Enter your number. I'll text you back tonight. We'll pick up a date.”

 

“Okay. See you, Derek.”

 

Derek left the shop with his pie in a box, when he heard somebody calling him.

 

 

"Hey, big handsome!"

 

He turned his head and saw Stiles' friend rushing to him. He looked upset.

 

“Man. Did you ask Stiles' number?”

 

“Yes. I didn't know you were together.”

 

“We're not together. He's my best friend. Why did you asked him ?”

 

“It's not really your business.I asked him out for a date. Is this okay for you?” he grinned.

 

The guy looked at him, none too pleased.

 

“Stiles is the nicest of guys. If you screw with him, you'll be in deep troubles. We'll came for you. All of us. Consider yourself warned.”

 

The guy came back in the Coffee chop. Derek was bemused. His friend was really overreacting. Derek intended to have a good time.He wasn't about to abduct him. Stiles was really cute. He texted him the next day.

 

**Hi. Wanna have a drink tonight? 7 PM? Derek**

 

**Ok. Meet in front of the Coffee Shop?**

 

**Ok.**

 

Stiles was here. Derek was a little late, because of the traffic. The Coffee Shop was already empty.

 

“Hi. You wanna drink something ? We can go somewhere else if you want.” asked Stiles.

 

“No, it's okay here. My sisters ate my pie and asked for more, so I can ask your friend Erica.”

 

“Erica's not here tonight. But you can ask Isaac to order a whole pie.”

 

“Isaac. Another friend of yours ?”

 

“He owns the Coffee Shop with Erica and Boyd. His father's life insurance provided the money they needed. Erica is one hell of a baker. And Boyd can do anything for her.”

 

The two men entered the shop. A tall, curly haired blond guy greeted Stiles.

 

“Stiles! It's been a while. Will you came to the match friday of next week?”

 

“Of course. And Derek would like to order a whole Banana Cream Pie for his sisters. ”

 

The boy turned to Derek with a smile.

 

“It's a big pie. When would you like to have it?”

 

“This saturday would be fine. Is it possible?”

 

“Of course. Apart from keeping her hands from Boyd, Erica can do anything in a kitchen. I'm Isaac, by the way.”

 

“Derek.”

 

“ Nice to meet you. Your pie will be available Saturday at 10 AM. I need your phone number, just in case. Okay for you?”

 

“Perfect. Thank you.”

 

Stiles ordered his coffee and sit at the nearest table. Derek would have prefered another one, but they were alone in the room. Derek assumed that Stiles did this to avoid his friend a lot of walk. Isaac brought them their drinks quickly and closed the front door.

 

“We're closed, but you can stay. Stiles is part of the place. I will clean in the back room. Call me if you need something.”

 

Isaac left them alone. Derek was a bit startled, but Stiles laughed.

 

“My friends are so not subtle. I bet Isaac is texting the whole gang about us dating right now. I hope you're not too embarrassed, because I am . We should probably go to another place. What do you think?”

 

“No, I'm fine. Your other friend already warned me yesterday. I think it's a perk of dating you.”

 

“Scott did what? I'm going to call his mother. Some secrets are about to be revealed. I'm sorry, my friends are protective. We're close. You have sisters, you must know how it is.”

 

“My sisters are spawns from Hell. I'm pretty sure their main goal in life is to make my life miserable.” smirked Derek.

 

“Your parents let them torture you? It's not very nice.”

 

“My parents died years ago. My elder sister Laura raised us, with my uncle Peter. We're really close, but they love to annoy the shit out of me.”

 

“I'm sorry. It's hard to lose someone you love. My mother died when I was nine. I have my dad and my friends. Scott is like my brother. But I will kick his ass for threatening a guy before the first date.”

 

“Well, it didn't stopped me.Tell me more about you. I'm curious.”

 

“I'm a open book. What do you want to know?”

 

“Um. How did you saved Erica's life?”

 

“Well, it's not really heroic, in fact. She's epileptic.Years ago, she had a seizure. I prevented her from swallowing her tongue. She bit my fingers. Hard.You can still see the scars.”

 

He showed him his hand.Scars were on his index and his middle finger.

 

“Ouch. It must have hurt a lot.”

 

“No, it's only impressive. I had others scars, from worse injuries. The one with Isaac, on my arm, hurt when I got it. I needed stitches, and I hate hospitals. Scott's Mum did it. She's a nurse.”

 

“Isaac bit you?” wondered Derek.

 

“No, he didn't. I got cut because of his father. I should probably not talk about it. It's private.”

 

Isaac came at this moment. He smiled at Stiles.

 

“It's okay. You saved my life that day.”

 

“You're Batman again?”

 

“Yes, he is.”explained Isaac “My father battered me. One day, Stiles came for tutored schoolwork, and I was badly bruised. Stiles called his father, who is the Sheriff Stilinski. My father came home very angry and tried to hurt me, but Stiles interposed. My father threw Stiles in the window and his arm was cut by the glass. His dad arrived right after, and arrested him. Stiles and I spend a few days in Hospital, and my father went to jail. He died there, because he was used to beat kids, not convicted felons. Scott's mother had custody over me, and she raised me. When I was old enough, I opened the shop with Erica and Boyd. He saved my life that day.”

 

Stiles blushed. He waved his hand.

 

“Come on, my dad arrested him. I tripped. No big deal. You're fine, and that's all that matter. ”

 

“I rest my case. Boyd owe you his life and his love life too.”

 

“Thank god, he would never talk about it. Stop helping me for my date. It's embarrassing.”

 

Isaac looked at Derek.

 

“We all owe you. We care about you.” he answered.

 

“Don't you have something to clean up?”

 

“Yes. Call me if you need anything. I'll be in the back room.”

 

Derek gazed at Stiles.

 

“Have you considered a career in Fire Department? You saved Three people's lives.”

 

“SIX” screamed Isaac from behind the counter.

 

Stiles hid his face behind his palms .

 

“This is ridiculous. Let's get out of this place. If we follow this path, he is going to tell you my grades in High School.”

 

“VALEDICTORIAN”

 

“ISAAC. For God's sake.”

 

“Alongside Lydia, whose life was saved by you. Just sayin' ”

 

“Okay. This is it.We leave. Goodnight Isaac.”

 

“Goodnight Stiles. Derek. See you saturday, for the pie.”

 

“Goodbye”

 

Derek followed Stiles outside. Stiles laughed, and Derek was impressed. A hero, and a brain. He was used to good looking people, but a little dull. A little empty. He wasn't really selective. In fact, he tried to avoid intimacy. He feared it.

 

“If your sisters are that embarrassing, I feel sorry for you.”

 

“Yes they are, but usually, they told embarrassing stories, they are not flattering me. Your friends love you a lot.”

 

“Yeah, I'm lucky. I love them all. But they have to stop.”

 

“So, who else do you saved? Scott, probably, Boyd, Lydia, and another lucky one. You tell me the stories?”

 

“No, I wanna save something to say on the next dates. If there is any.”

 

Derek kissed him on the cheek.

 

“It will be. Not only for the stories. I spend a nice evening. Interesting and funny. But do not meet in the Coffee Shop again.”

 

“Better not. They will call Lydia, and it will be the death of us. She's slightly perfectionist. She will study you to no end. Hey, would you like to meet tomorrow? In front of the Library ?”

 

“Sounds perfect to me. At 5 PM?”

 

“Okay. We could eat together after. See you tomorrow.”

 

Derek phone rang. Stiles waved at him and left while Derek answered. The number was unknown, and from a foreign country. It could be for work.

 

“Yes, Derek speaking.”

 

“Are you serious about Stiles?” inquired a feminine voice.

 

“ Well, it's borderline harassment. Are you Lydia?”

 

“ No. I'm Allison. I'm in France right now, but Isaac texted me your number. Are yours intentions serious toward him?”

 

“Listen, Allison, your call ended my first date with him. So it's a bit early to make a statement. I need to know him more, but all of you are a little hard to handle. Are you a bunch of lunatics?”

 

“You have not met Lydia yet. She will came back from England with Jackson monday. And trust me, if you misbehave with Stiles, she will be pushy.”

 

“Are you one of the numerous people Stiles saved? I heard a lot about this tonight.”

 

“No. He comforted me after my mother died. My father and I owe him a lot. So take care of him. All of them will come after you if you make him cry. Consider yourself warned.”

 

“Scott already told me that.”

 

“I know, I used to date him. I know him well. He's like a dog with his bone.”

 

“Really? He looks like a puppy.”

 

“If you hurt Stiles, you will discover his inner wolf. Bye Derek.”

 

Derek hang up. Stiles' friend were really strange. Creepy. He came home and called his sister Laura to tell her about his odd date.

 

“And she hang up . Can you imagine it ? She called from France. I checked. It was around six in the morning for her. It's creepy.”

 

“She must really care for him. He seems really loved by his friends. But why are they so protective? He doesn't seem to be fragile.”

 

“I know. All theses praises embarrassed him. It was strange. For a first date, I would be thrilled if my friends praised me like they did. Heroic. Valedictorian.He's funny too. I'm used to average and cute.”

 

“No, you're used to sexy and psycho. Or moronic one night stands. If his friends protect him, he must worth it. Don't screw it up for once.”

 

“What are you talking about, Laura?”

 

“Derek, you're my brother and I love you. But when it comes to relationships, you suck. You give up at the first obstacle. I'm not talking about Kate. She was not a nice person, we all know about that. But Jennifer was rather nice. Paige was lovely. The guy with the big forehead was nice too. The guy you meet in New York was great. If you really like him, please, don't give up this time. Promise me. Fight. Win.”

 

“I promise. Oh, by the way, I ordered a whole Banana Cream Pie for you and Cora, for saturday. Happy?”

 

“Very. See you saturday.”

 

The next day, Derek was in front of the Library. He heard Stiles' voice from behind his back.

 

“I hope I'm not late. It took more time than I expected to bring back my books.”

 

“Oh my god. It's a relief. I thought you wanted a silent date with me.” answered Derek.

 

“ Derek, you can expect a lot from me, but no silence. It never happened before. Never will. You can ask all my friends. I'll give you numbers if you want.”

 

“I got one. A girl called Allison called me yesterday.”

 

“Alli A called you? But she's in France. How did she get your number ? Oh, I'm going to maim Isaac.” mumbled Stiles.

 

“So, she's a friend of yours?”

 

“Not for long if she does this. Listen, I'm sorry about their behavior. I had a bad date once, and they never get over it. I dealt with it, but they didn't. If Greenberg wasn't such a jerk, I would have pitied him.”

 

“How bad was this date? If you want to talk about it.”

 

“It was nice at first, but he made me drink too much, and tried to force me to have sex. I freed myself, but when Scott and the others learnt about it, they made his life a living hell for weeks. My father couldn't send him in jail for what he did. He finally left the town. My friends are the Justice League.”

 

“It makes sense, since you're Batman.”

 

“Yes , I am. But when I was younger, I wanted to be a Pirate.”

 

“Really? I wanted to be a Werewolf.”

 

“So long for your furry career. What is your job actually?”

 

“My sister Laura and I run the family business. Cora is in College. She will join us after her master in Economics. I do PR for Hale Editions.”

 

“You're Derek Hale? Man, I loved the collector edition you released last year. I bought a lot of them. Especially the Fantasy ones. It's awesome.”

 

“It was my mother favorite books. It was to commemorate the anniversary of their passing.”

 

“Yeah, it was a nice gesture. It looks like a great job.”

 

“To be honest, I intend to leave. My uncle is way better than me to obtain what he wants from people. And he's slightly evil. I want to come back to College. I want to study History of Art.”

 

“Yes. It's fascinating. I attended this course in my first year. But I majored in Computer Science. I worked on the Sheriff's database, but I'm going to need a job soon. My dad can't afford to hire me full time.”

 

“That's right. I almost forgot that Isaac said your father was the Sheriff Stilinski. In remember him. He informed us about my parent's death. Your father is a very nice man.”

 

“Yes. He is. But I need a job nonetheless.”

 

“You know, my sister was talking about developing our online activities. Would you be interested?”

 

Stiles stared at him, mouth gaping.

 

“Are you kidding me? Of course I am interested. What kind of job is it? Who have you hired?”

 

“In fact, we talked about it recently. We have nobody yet. But send her your resume, and it would be a good start. I made no promises, because my sister is the boss, she decides. We haven't began to recruit yet. I'll give you the email address.”

 

Stiles kissed him on the lips. Derek blushed.

 

“Oh thank you. I didn't kissed you to raise my chances. But thank you for the offer. I will send my resume to your sister. Well, I'm hungry. Do you want to have dinner? And go for a movie after?”

 

“I would really like it.”

 

Derek spent a great evening with Stiles. Stiles was funny. Very funny. And smart. It was the best evening he spent for years. He laughed a lot. And the fact that his sister could hire him was even better. He kissed him a lot that evening. Their shared a lot of interests. Books, movies,TV shows, humor. Favorite painter. He was really attracted to him. He enjoyed their date. Usually, he rushed to bed to end the dull conversation about stupid reality TV. At the end of the movie, he gave him his sister email, and texted her about it.

 

“Can we meet sunday afternoon? You have lunch with your sisters tomorrow, and Lydia is back from England monday, so I will be pretty busy. And friday, I'm busy too.”

 

“It's perfect. See you sunday. I'll text you.”

 

“Goodnight Derek.”

 

Stiles kissed him. Derek kissed him back.

 

“Goodnight Stiles.”

 

His sisters came at eleven. Derek brought the pie earlier, and it was appetizing. A chicken was in the oven, with potatoes .The smell was everywhere. Cora looked tired, but Laura was overjoyed.

 

“Derek, pride of the family, I withdraw what I said on the phone earlier. I'm so proud of you right now. It smells fantastic. Roast Chicken?”

 

“Thanks. But why are you so proud? Because I found a boyfriend? A really smart and funny one? With a Computer Science degree. Did he send you his resume?”

 

“Your boyfriend resume is quite impressive. I want to hire him. We could develop online activities and let him lead the project. He's competent, and I know you support his application.”

 

“Of course. But why are you so proud of me? I don't get it.”

 

“Well, I don't mean you're vain, but I would never have imagined you would date a boy with a disability.”

 

Derek stared at her. He blinked.

 

“I beg your pardon?”

 

“I'm sorry. I know it's not nice to assume you're vain. Forgive me.”

 

“What disability are you talking about?”

 

Laura looked at him in horror. She paled.

 

“You mean you didn't know about his leg?”

 

“I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about.”

 

Laura lend him the resume. Stiles' impressive resume. Several internships in famous companies. A degree from Stanford _magna cum laude._ But something draw his attention. At the bottom of the resume was written “T44 competitor in Disability Athletics ”

 

“What is a T44 ?”

 

“It means leg amputation. Below the knee.”

 

Derek's face was blank. He stared at his sister.

 

“I didn't know about this.”

 

“Derek, I'm sorry you learn it this way. But you appreciate him anyway. What's the big deal?”

 

“I can't date a guy who is... like this.”

 

“Okay, my pride was severely misplaced. But is he less smart? Less fun? Less heroic? Maybe he was injured while rescuing a friend. You should talk to him.”

 

“Yes. I'll do it. Later. The meal is ready. I'll think about it later. Okay?”

 

“Okay, but don't do anything stupid. And I'll interview him anyway. You wanna tell him ?”

 

“No. I mean you're the boss, I warned him it's not my decision. Ask him for an interview.”

 

Laura shook her head, but remained silent. She knew her brother too well. He was stubborn. He loved the boy. It was visible. But he was afraid to lose people since their parents died. He was afraid to get attached. And to discover that the boy he was falling for had a disability certainly frightened him. But she was smarter than he thought. And she had Cora on her side. She muttered something at her ear, and Cora nodded.

 

“You wanna some help, Derek?” asked Cora.

 

“ Yes. Put the pie out of the fridge, please.”

 

The meal was quiet. Derek reluctantly answered questions about Stiles. But he clearly admired him. His sisters ate more than half of the cake, and he shared the leftovers between them. After they left, Derek found his phone on the couch, with a text from Stiles. He ignored it. On the sunday morning, Stiles texted him to schedule their date. Derek cancelled it.

 

**Sorry , unexpected issues. I text you later**

 

**Okay. Nothing serious, I hope. Miss you**

 

Derek turned his phone off. Stiles didn't tell him he was disabled. Why? That was the reason his friends protected him so much.He was sure about this. He won't be able to take care of him. Laura had to take care of everything after their parents died. Even his stupid uncle was better than him with Cora. He didn't know how to handle a weak boyfriend. He liked to exercise. How could he do this with a one-legged boyfriend? It was a lame excuse. Derek knew it. He was afraid. Death and sickness terrorized him. Laura was right, after all. One single obstacle, and he gave up. But he couldn't imagine how to deal with this information. Laura called him on tuesday.

 

“Listen, Derek, I hope your little drama is over, because I totally hire him. He loves books, he's smart, capable and he's funny. There's no way someone else is going to hire him. Okay?”

 

“Okay, you're the boss. And remember that I asked to leave. So I won't bother him.”

 

“I can't believe you just said this. Do you realize that this boy is in love with you? Are you a fucking moron? I warn you, Derek. Don't mess with him, or I swear to god that I poke my nose in your business.”

 

“Don't you dare.”

 

“So get your shit together and talk to him. He starts on monday.”

 

Laura hanged the phone, angry. She hated to intervene, but her idiot brother let her little options. She looked at the paper in front of her, and took her phone. It was 8 PM in France.

 

“Hello, sorry to bother you, but are you a friend of Stiles?”

 

“Yes. Did something happened to him?”

 

“My name is Laura Hale. My sister and I found your number in my brother's phone. We need to talk.”

 

Derek avoided his phone for the whole week. It was friday afternoon, and he missed Stiles like crazy. He dreamt about him every night and awoke every morning frustrated. He was in love with him, but he was persuaded that Stiles would broke like crystal if he touched him. He never knew how to deal with people. Jennifer left him because he never shared anything with her. Paige left because he could not deal with her asthma. Everything was easy with Stiles, until he learnt about his leg. He was persuaded than he could only harm Stiles, physically or emotionally. He refused to.

He came around when somebody knocked on the door. When he opened, he saw the prettiest strawberry blonde he ever met. She smiled at him.

 

“Are you Derek Hale?” she asked.

 

“Yes. Can I help you?”

 

She looked at him with a cold glare. Behind her appeared Scott, Boyd, Isaac and a guy he never met before.

 

“Grab him.”

 

Derek didn't had time to defend himself. The four guys seized him and hold him still. The girl watched him.

 

“Where is your phone? I can ask Scott to do physical search, but he will be rough. None of us is too pleased by the way you treated Stiles. And don't yell. The sheriff is on our side. Where is your phone?”

 

Derek bowed his head. He had it coming.

 

“On the table. Are you Lydia?”

 

“Yes, I am. And you are in deep trouble, young man. We take my car. I lock the door. And, Derek, don't talk to me right now. Or I let the boys do everything they want.”

 

“Jerk.” spouted Scott.

 

“Asshole.” added Isaac

 

“Boys! Behave.”

 

The six of them came in the car. Derek remained silent. He was in trouble, but he knew he deserved it.Lydia was looking at his texts. She smirked.

 

“He wrote to you twice a day, and you didn't even opened his texts. What kind of idiot are you? How could Stiles have fallen for you? He's smarter usually. Look at the last one. It's heartbreaking.”

 

Derek looked at the phone. Tears came in his eyes

 

**I didn't mean to hurt you. I regret whatever I did. I refuse the job. I won't bother you anymore. Sorry.**

 

“You managed to make him feel guilty for you being a jerk. We hate you.”

 

“For sure we did” said Scott with hostility.

 

“You know, he doesn't even imagine that you avoid him because of his leg. He is persuaded that he did something wrong on your last date. But we know better. He certainly didn't talked about his leg, because he can't imagine that it's an issue. But we figured it out. I know his resume. He is honest about his leg. You avoided him since he sent the mail to your sister. And the only information you ignored was about his leg.”

 

“You all exaggerated about his heroism. You wanted me to appreciate him. He was so uncomfortable about this. I should have guessed it was a lie.”

 

“I didn't lied. He called his father and was thrown on the window by my father.” said Isaac.

 

“He called 911 and took care of me when I had an severe asthma attack.” said Scott.

 

“He saved me from drowning and performed CPR on me .” said the unknown guy.

 

“He hit me in the head the day I tried to commit suicide.” said Boyd.

 

“He stopped the hemorrhage when I was stabbed by a stalker at school, ” smiled Lydia. “He saved all of us once.We all owe him our lives. And you're coming with us now.”

 

The car stopped in front of High School. Erica was waiting, with a middle aged woman, and the sheriff Stilinski. None of them looked happy to see him. Scott hugged the woman.

 

“Hi, Mom. Is Stiles here?”

 

“Yes. He waits for all of you. Hello Isaac. Boyd. Jackson. Lydia. You look great.”

 

“Thanks Melissa. You too.”

 

Isaac hugged her.

 

“Are you Derek ?” asked Melissa.

 

Erica slapped him. Derek didn't flinched.

 

“You should be ashamed of yourself. If you ever order anything at my shop, I'll spit in it.”

 

“Erica!”

 

“For god sake, Lydia. He made him cry. I saw him today. ”

 

Derek eyes filled up with tears. He messed up. He was afraid to hurt Stiles, and he failed. And now, a dozen person were mad at him. He deserved it. And when his sister will learn about the job refusal, he will be a dead man.

 

“I'm so sorry. I didn't meant to hurt him. I didn't knew how to react. I was afraid to hurt him. And I did it anyway. I was right. I wasn't ready when I learnt about this. ” muttered Derek.

 

The sheriff shouldered him. Derek felt awful.

 

“None of us was ready when it happened. We are going to seat. Boys, go on the field. Derek, the ladies and I are going to sit. Good luck.”

 

Once inside, they came to the field and sat. The sheriff looked at Derek.

 

“He lost his leg at nine. In a car crash. His mother died in front of him. His lower leg was crushed. But he never gave up. He spend months in Hospital. Melissa was his nurse, and that's the way he met Scott. They spend all their free time together when he came out of the Readaptation Center.”

 

“One afternoon, Scott had a severe asthma attack. I was at work. Stiles called the emergencies and saved my son. He was not able to walk, but he did it anyway. He crawled on the floor. It was an excruciating pain because of his leg. I am forever grateful for what he did.” Melissa had tears in her eyes.

 

Derek looked at the field. It was a Lacrosse game. He never really understood the rules. But one player seemed really good. He scored, accompanied by enthusiastic applauses.

 

“I'm not bothered by his leg. Well, not any more,” said Derek “It's me. I'm not good with people. I always end in relationships where I ruin everything. I really love Stiles. I didn't know how to react. I was afraid to hurt his feelings, and I did it anyway. I'm afraid I won't be able to protect him.”

 

The crowd cheered once more. The player scored again. He was really popular around here.

 

The sheriff starred at him in disbelief. He shook his head.

 

“Why do you believe he needs to be protected? Is it because of what happened to your family? It was an accident. An awful accident, but it happens. I knew your father. He would have carried your mother on hundred miles if he had to. The fire was not your fault. It was an electrical fire.You can't blame yourself for a malfunction.”

 

“I know. But if I can't help him? If I fail him when he needs me? How can I forgive myself if I love him even more than I do and let him down?”

 

Erica put her hand on his shoulder. She smiled.

 

“Why would he need protection? He's about to score for the third time.These high schoolers can't figure how to stop him. He's batman.”

 

Derek stared at her.

 

“What are you saying?”

 

The sheriff smiled. Melissa and Lydia chuckled.

 

“He's on the field. It's a friendly match, with former students. Boyd, Isaac, Scott, Jackson and Stiles were on the Lacrosse Team before. And he's about to score for the third time. GO, SON.”

 

Lydia and Melissa waved at him. Derek saw them on the field. And he saw Stiles running. He was unstoppable. He scored for the third time. Boyd put him on his shoulders. The crowd was cheering. Derek felt utterly stupid. Stiles was able to take care of himself. In fact, Derek wondered if he could follow him. Stiles looked at him, and waved. He came down from Boyd shoulders and walked in their direction. Lydia elbowed Derek.

 

“Now, choose wisely. And remember: the sheriff is on our side. All of us would be glad to hurt you. And your sisters are pretty pissed off. ”

 

“My sisters?”

 

“How do you think I found your address, dumbass? GO!”

 

Derek stood up and came to the field. Stiles observed him silently.

 

“I'm sorry it took me so long to answer,” stated Derek “I'm lame. Can you forgive me?”

 

Stiles hugged him tightly. He kissed him.

 

“I thought you hated me.”

 

“I'm sorry. I love you. Please, accept the job. I won't forgive myself if you miss this opportunity. And my sister will kill me if you refuse.”

 

“Will I see you more often if I accept the job?”

 

“Only if you want to. But I would be glad if you do.”

 

“Of course. It's a dream job. But are we going to date again?”

 

“If you want me. I know I screwed up. I hope you will forgive me.”

 

“What do you want me to forgive you?”

 

Scott interrupted them.

 

“Stiles! Who's going to score if you kiss your boyfriend? Came back with us.”

 

Stiles kissed Derek.

 

“Sorry, Team duties. See you after the match?”

 

“ Sure. I love you.”

 

“I love you, Derek.”

 

Stiles was running on the field when Scott came closer to Derek. He was scowling.

 

“Don't tell him you freaked out about his leg. You'll tell him in a few weeks. Are you an idiot ?”

 

“Maybe I am.”

 

“We'll punch you until you stop being a shithead. He really loves you. So behave.”

 

“I will.”

 

Derek looked at Stiles running on the field. He was amazing. And his friends were devoted. He waved at Stiles.

 

 

_Eight months later._

 

“How do I look?” asked Derek.

 

“Honey, with you, this question is always superfluous. You're a piece of art.” smiled Stiles.

 

“I hope she will like me.”

 

“You conquered everybody. Even Erica is nicer now. They like you, because I love you.”

 

Derek sighed. He dated Stiles for months now, and he worked hard to earn Stiles' friends trust. And he was about to meet Allison, who was back from France with her father. He was nervous.

 

“And if she thinks I'm a douche?”

 

“She'll learn to know you. And to love you. They all did.”

 

“I still feel stupid about the way I reacted about your leg. I am so sorry.”

 

“It's okay. I puked on your uncle's shoes at your birthday party. We're even.”

 

Derek chuckled. Stiles kissed him.

 

“ We better hurry. Allison will kill us if we're late at the Airport. Ready, love?”

 

“Ready, Pirate Captain.”

 

Stiles laughed. He loved his nickname.  And he loved Derek even more.

 

The End.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Even if I thought about Peeta Mellark and Augustus Waters, my main inspiration is my friend Christine, who kick asses and owns a prosthetic leg. You go, girl.


End file.
